Windows 8 Developer Preview released

This week at the Build Conference, Microsoft released a freely downloadable developer preview of Windows 8 (you can download the ISOs here). If you’re an avid reader of this blog (and which of the five of you aren’t? ;-)) you know I like to jump on new technology early so of course I downloaded the 64-bit version and installed it in a virtual machine via VirtualBox.

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Remembering 9/11 – 10 years later

I was still a traveling consultant in September of 2001 and my assignment at the time was a PeopleSoft upgrade in the Chicago suburbs. We were in our daily morning meeting when we first heard the news about the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks. Like everywhere else that morning, the atmosphere was one of shock and disbelief. At first everyone thought it was a freak accident … until the second plane hit the south tower.

I can’t recall if we we were sent home early, or if we finished the rest of the workday. I do remember going over to a colleague’s apartment (I was staying in a hotel) where we had dinner and sat watching the news coverage for hours into the night.

From my office window I could see the downtown Chicago skyline and would usually watch all the planes on approach into the two airports. Few the next few days, while all flight traffic in the US was grounded, the skies were eerily empty. Since I was didn’t even want to try and fly home to Florida that weekend, I drove to my parents’ place in Cleveland just to be with family instead of by myself in Chicago. When I did finally fly for the first time after the attacks (and for weeks afterwards), O’Hare was a crowded mess of long lines and weary passengers and security screeners. It’s hard to remember there was a time when we didn’t have to take off our shoes or walk through full body scanners.

But this 10th anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on American soil is not just about “where were you?” but about the over 3,000 people who lost their lives on 9/11 and the men and women who continue to work to keep America safe at home and abroad.

Never forget.

Buffalo WZR-HP-G300N wireless router

Last month I spotted a Fatwallet deal for the Buffalo WZR-HR-G300N gigabit wireless N router ($60 from Amazon with free Prime shipping) that I couldn’t pass up. I didn’t have any wireless N clients and wasn’t having any real problems with my four year-old Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 wireless router (running DD-WRT), but hey, cheap new tech, right?

Back in 2009 I had jumped on a similar deal and snagged a Buffalo WHR-G300N wireless N router for $35. After getting it all set up with DD-WRT, though, I discovered that with the lack of external antennas and no high-power radio the wireless signal wasn’t strong enough to cover my entire house like the WHR-HP-G54 was currently doing. Since I had effectively voided the warranty by flashing DD-WRT onto the router, I kept it for use as a switch in my office (and am still using it today, in fact).

I was hoping that the three antennas (two external, one internal) and high-power radio in the WZR-HR-G300N would do the job of replacing my WHR-HP-G54 plus give me a gigabit switch in the computer closet. I was also excited because Buffalo now included their own branded version of DD-WRT (they call it the “professional” firmware) on the router, so no more voided warranty issues!

Things never go as planned, though.

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Universal’s Rip Ride Rockit rip-off

This past weekend I rode the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster for the first time at Universal Studios Orlando and really enjoyed it. I didn’t know anything about it before riding, so that first experience was really cool. You get to pick your own music from a selection of about 30 tracks and then rock out while you ride (I chose The Crystal Method’s “Keep Hope Alive”). After getting off the coaster, instead of the traditional screens showing a captured photo for purchase, I found an interactive kiosk that played back video of me on the ride. Each car has a video camera that records you on the coaster along with the music you selected.

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Home from Universal; a Disney comparison

Normally we spend the morning of Labor Day in the hotel pool but since we already had some pool time yesterday, we checked out early and bid farewell to Universal Studios. We had breakfast at First Watch (I tried the new bacon/cheddar pancakes, which were different, but surprisingly good) and then killed some time at Downtown Disney (to keep the Labor Day weekend/Disney tradition alive).

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Universal, Labor Day Weekend 2011 – Day 2

We got up early this morning to take advantage of the early (8am) opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure for hotel guests. Of course almost every other hotel guest was doing the same thing, but since there are only a few Universal hotels, the crowd was still manageable.

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